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Jones PL, Diaz EM, Goldthwaite NE, Scotch HT, Prachand SV, Ahn ER. Pollinator cognition in a plant network. Biol Lett 2025; 21:20250044. [PMID: 40425047 PMCID: PMC12115817 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2025] [Revised: 03/14/2025] [Accepted: 04/16/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities evolve within the context of ecological communities. Honeybees and bumblebees have become model systems for cognitive ecology, but pollination is performed by a diverse group of insects under similar pressures to forage efficiently in a mixed floral community. We studied the colour learning abilities of six species of Hymenoptera (two eusocial bumblebees, a cuckoo bumblebee, two wasps and a leaf-cutter bee) within the context of an island plant community. We used records of insect visits to flowers in the field to determine the index of specialization of each species in the island plant-pollinator network, and measured the spectral reflectance of the flowers they visit. Species with higher specialization indices in our plant-pollinator network made a larger proportion of correct choices in a colour learning task than more generalist species. The more generalist species also visited a group of flowers more similar to each other in hymenopteran colour vision space. These results indicate that better colour learning abilities may enable insects to forage on plants of different colours, whereas more generalist insects are visiting flowers that are similar in colour, and therefore are less reliant on repeated colour learning to forage efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric M. Diaz
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, USA
| | | | | | | | - Eva R. Ahn
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, USA
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2
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Sobhy IS, Goelen T, Wäckers F, Verstrepen KJ, Wenseleers T, Jacquemyn H, Lievens B. Impact of Nectar Composition and Nectar Yeasts on Volatile Emissions and Parasitoid Behavior. J Chem Ecol 2025; 51:29. [PMID: 40047954 PMCID: PMC11885403 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-025-01587-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2025] [Accepted: 02/22/2025] [Indexed: 03/09/2025]
Abstract
Nectar yeasts can significantly influence the scent of floral nectar and therefore the foraging behavior of flower-visiting insects. While these effects likely depend on nectar chemistry and yeast species, their joint impact on nectar volatile profiles and associated insect responses remain poorly understood. Here, we used four synthetic nectar types varying in sugar and amino acid concentration and two specialist nectar yeasts (Metschnikowia gruessii and Metschnikowia reukaufii) to investigate how nectar composition and yeast species affect volatile profiles and the olfactory responses of the generalist aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi. Olfactometer assays showed that A. ervi females significantly preferred fermented nectars with high amino acid-low sugar content (HL) and low amino acid-high sugar (LH) content, regardless being fermented by M. gruessii or M. reukaufii, over non-inoculated nectars. This effect was not observed for nectars with low amino acid-low sugar (LL) and high amino acid-high sugar (HH) content. Moreover, LL nectar fermented with M. gruessii became even repellent to the parasitoids. GC-MS analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) revealed that VOC profiles of fermented nectars depended significantly on nectar type (i.e., chemical composition), yeast species, and their interaction. Whereas propyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, styrene, α-guaiene and pentyl-octanoate were associated with the LH fermented nectars, ethyl acetate and E-methyl isoeugenol were mainly associated with the HL fermented nectars, suggesting possible involvement in A. ervi attraction to these nectars. In contrast, isopropyl-hexadecanoate was associated with the non-attractive or repellent LL fermented nectars. Altogether, our results indicate that nectar composition has a strong impact on nectar scent when fermented by specialist nectar yeasts and subsequently on insect foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam S Sobhy
- CMPG Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Tim Goelen
- CMPG Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Felix Wäckers
- , Biobest, Westerlo, Belgium
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Kevin J Verstrepen
- VIB - KU Leuvain Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- CMPG Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuvain, Belgium
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socio-Ecology & Social Evolution, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuvain, Belgium
| | - Hans Jacquemyn
- Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuvain, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute (LPI), KU Leuven, Leuvain, Belgium
| | - Bart Lievens
- CMPG Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- KU Leuven Plant Institute (LPI), KU Leuven, Leuvain, Belgium.
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Getahun MN. Livestock-vector interaction using volatile organic metabolites. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 66:101269. [PMID: 39260769 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Biological interaction between two organisms living together in a given habitat is essential for healthy ecosystem functionality, got complexity, and exerts an arms race between the interacting organisms. Some vectors are exclusively blood feeders, and others supplement their diet with plant nectar. The feeding dynamics may determine their olfactory system complexity. Arthropod vectors that interact with livestock rely mainly on olfaction. Livestock odor profile is a complex trait and depends on host genetics, microbes, diet, and health status, which highlights its dynamic nature. Furthermore, volatile metabolites are shared between host animals, which exert its own challenge for vectors to find their preferred host. Elucidating the underlying host chemodiversity, especially signature scents, neuroethological mechanism of discrimination of preferred/unpreferred host from plethora of coexisting host is crucial to understand evolution and adaptation in vector-livestock interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merid N Getahun
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Kenya.
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Yin H, Rudolf VHW. Time is of the essence: A general framework for uncovering temporal structures of communities. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14481. [PMID: 39022847 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Ecological communities are inherently dynamic: species constantly turn over within years, months, weeks or even days. These temporal shifts in community composition determine essential aspects of species interactions and how energy, nutrients, information, diseases and perturbations 'flow' through systems. Yet, our understanding of community structure has relied heavily on static analyses not designed to capture critical features of this dynamic temporal dimension of communities. Here, we propose a conceptual and methodological framework for quantifying and analysing this temporal dimension. Conceptually, we split the temporal structure into two definitive features, sequence and duration, and review how they are linked to key concepts in ecology. We then outline how we can capture these definitive features using perspectives and tools from temporal graph theory. We demonstrate how we can easily integrate ongoing research on phenology into this framework and highlight what new opportunities arise from this approach to answer fundamental questions in community ecology. As climate change reshuffles ecological communities worldwide, quantifying the temporal organization of communities is imperative to resolve the fundamental processes that shape natural ecosystems and predict how these systems may change in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Yin
- Program of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Volker H W Rudolf
- Program of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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Heuel KC, Haßlberger TA, Ayasse M, Burger H. Floral Trait Preferences of Three Common wild Bee Species. INSECTS 2024; 15:427. [PMID: 38921142 PMCID: PMC11203783 DOI: 10.3390/insects15060427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The interaction between bees and flowering plants is mediated by floral cues that enable bees to find foraging plants. We tested floral cue preferences among three common wild bee species: Lasioglossum villosulum, Osmia bicornis, and Bombus terrestris. Preferences are well studied in eusocial bees but almost unknown in solitary or non-eusocial generalist bee species. Using standardized artificial flowers altered in single cues, we tested preferences for color hue, achromatic contrast, scent complexity, corolla size, and flower depth. We found common attractive cues among all tested bees. Intensively colored flowers and large floral displays were highly attractive. No preferences were observed in scent complexity experiments, and the number of volatiles did not influence the behavior of bees. Differing preferences were found for color hue. The specific behaviors were probably influenced by foraging experience and depended on the flower choice preferences of the tested bee species. In experiments testing different flower depths of reward presentation, the bees chose flat flowers that afforded low energy costs. The results reveal that generalist wild bee species other than well-studied honeybees and bumblebees show strong preferences for distinct floral cues to find potential host plants. The diverse preferences of wild bees ensure the pollination of various flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim C. Heuel
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89077 Ulm, Germany (M.A.); (H.B.)
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Li X, Liu L, Chu J, Wei G, Li J, Sun X, Fan H. Functional characterization of terpene synthases SmTPS1 involved in floral scent formation in Salvia miltiorrhiza. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2024; 221:114045. [PMID: 38460781 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Plants attract beneficial insects and promote pollination by releasing floral scents. Salvia miltiorrhiza, as an insect-pollinated flowering plant, which has been less studied for its floral aroma substances. This study revealed that S. miltiorrhiza flowers produce various volatile terpenoids, including five monoterpenes and ten sesquiterpenes, with the sesquiterpene compound (E)-β-caryophyllene being the most abundant, accounting for 28.1% of the total volatile terpenoids. Y-tube olfactometer experiments were conducted on the primary pollinator of S. miltiorrhiza, the Apis ceranas. The results indicated that (E)-β-caryophyllene compound had an attractive effect on the Apis ceranas. By comparing the homologous sequences with the genes of (E)-β-caryophyllene terpene synthases in other plants, the SmTPS1 gene was selected for further experiment. Subcellular localization experiments showed SmTPS1 localized in the cytoplasm, and its in vitro enzyme assay revealed that it could catalyze FPP into β-Elemene, (E)-β-caryophyllene and α-Humulene. Overexpression of SmTPS1 in S. miltiorrhiza resulted in a 5.29-fold increase in gene expression. The GC-MS analysis revealed a significant increase in the concentration of (E)-β-caryophyllene in the transgenic plants, with levels 2.47-fold higher compared to the empty vector plants. Furthermore, Y-tube olfactometer experiments showed that the transgenic plants were significantly more attractive to Apis ceranas compared to the empty vector plants. Co-expression analysis suggested that four SmMYCs (SmMYC1, SmMYC5, SmMYC10, and SmMYC11) may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of SmTPS1. The yeast one-hybrid screen and the Dual luciferase assay indicated that SmMYC10 positively regulates the expression of SmTPS1. In conclusion, this study lays a foundation for the functional analysis and transcriptional regulation of terpene synthase genes in S. miltiorrhiza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Jin Chu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Guo Wei
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Jiaxue Li
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xu Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
| | - Honghong Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
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Aguirre LA, Junker RR. Floral and pollinator functional diversity mediate network structure along an elevational gradient. ALPINE BOTANY 2024; 134:193-206. [PMID: 39619637 PMCID: PMC11607024 DOI: 10.1007/s00035-024-00308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 12/12/2024]
Abstract
Elevational gradients in alpine ecosystems are well suited to study how plant and pollinator communities respond to climate change. In the Austrian Alps, we tested how the taxonomic and functional diversity of plants and their pollinators change with increasing elevation and how this affects plant-pollinator network structure. We measured the phenotypes of flowering plants and their pollinators and observed their interactions in 24 communities along an elevational gradient. To assess variation in floral and pollinator traits, we then quantified trait spaces (n-dimensional hypervolumes) occupied by flowers and pollinators in each community. To assess plant-pollinator network structure, we quantified the levels of complementary specialization (H2'), modularity and nestedness (weighted NODF) for each community. As elevation increased, most measures of diversity and network specialization either declined linearly or in an oscillating manner. Communities that exhibited higher pollinator functional diversity exhibited larger degrees of complementary specialization and modularity; and communities with greater floral and pollinator functional diversity and higher phylogenetic diversity were less nested. Altogether, the degree to which elevation, species diversity, functional diversity and network structure changed in conjunction suggests environmental effects on the functional and phylogenetic diversity of plants and pollinators and consequently network structure. Our results suggest that the effects of climate change on plant and pollinator community composition will impact plant-pollinator network structure and potentially pollination services at the community scale. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00035-024-00308-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Aguirre
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA USA
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA USA
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Shah S, Ilyas M, Bian S, Yang FL. Discussion: Harnessing microbiome-mediated adaptations in insect pollinators to mitigate climate change impact on crop pollination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170145. [PMID: 38242478 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Insect pollinators, vital for agriculture and biodiversity, face escalating threats from climate change. We argue and explore the pivotal role of the microbiomes in shaping adaptations of insect pollinator resilience amid climate-induced challenges (climate change and habitat alteration). Examining diverse taxonomic groups, we unravel the interplay between insect physiology, microbiomes, and adaptive mechanisms. Climate-driven alterations in microbiomes impact insect health, behavior, and plant interactions, posing significant effects on agricultural ecosystems. We propose harnessing microbiome-mediated adaptations as a strategic approach to mitigate climate change impacts on crop pollination. Insights into insect-pollinator microbiomes offer transformative avenues for sustainable agriculture, including probiotic interventions (use of EM PROBIOTIC) and microbiome engineering (such as engineering gut bacteria) to induce immune responses and enhanced pollination services. Integrating microbiome insights into conservation practices elucidates strategies for preserving pollinator habitats, optimizing agricultural landscapes, and developing policies to safeguard pollinator health in the face of environmental changes. Finally, we stress interdisciplinary collaboration and the urgency of understanding pollinator microbiome dynamics under climate change in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakhawat Shah
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Ilyas
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 666316 Menglun, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sufen Bian
- Department of Gardening and Horticulture, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Feng-Lian Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Cruz CP, Ratoni B, Villalobos F, Ayala R, Hinojoza-Díaz I, Dáttilo W. Drivers of flower visit and resource sharing between the honeybee and native bees in Neotropical coastal sand dunes. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:2. [PMID: 38224365 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01888-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinator species because it can gather resources from a vast variety of plant species, including both natives and introduced, across its geographical distribution. Although A. mellifera interacts with a large diversity of plants and shares resources with other pollinators, there are some plant species with which it interacts more frequently than others. Here, we evaluated the plant traits (i.e., plant length, abundance of bloomed individuals, number of open flowers, and stamen length) that would affect the honeybee visit frequencies to the flowers in a coastal environment in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, we evaluated which native bee species (and their body size) overlap floral resource with A. mellifera. We registered 998 plant-bee interactions between 35 plant species and 47 bee species. We observed that plant species with low height and with high abundances of bloomed individuals are positively related to a high frequency of visits by A. mellifera. Moreover, we found that A. mellifera tends to share a higher number of plant species with other bee species with a similar or smaller body size than with bigger species, which makes them a competitor for the resource with honeybees. Our results highlight that the impacts of A. mellifera on plants and native bees could be anticipated based on its individual's characteristics (i.e., plant height and abundance of bloomed individuals) and body size, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brenda Ratoni
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Ayala
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Patricio Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hinojoza-Díaz
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Mexico city, Mexico
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
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Dötterl S, Gershenzon J. Chemistry, biosynthesis and biology of floral volatiles: roles in pollination and other functions. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1901-1937. [PMID: 37661854 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00024a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2010 to 2023Floral volatiles are a chemically diverse group of plant metabolites that serve multiple functions. Their composition is shaped by environmental, ecological and evolutionary factors. This review will summarize recent advances in floral scent research from chemical, molecular and ecological perspectives. It will focus on the major chemical classes of floral volatiles, on notable new structures, and on recent discoveries regarding the biosynthesis and the regulation of volatile emission. Special attention will be devoted to the various functions of floral volatiles, not only as attractants for different types of pollinators, but also as defenses of flowers against enemies. We will also summarize recent findings on how floral volatiles are affected by abiotic stressors, such as increased temperatures and drought, and by other organisms, such as herbivores and flower-dwelling microbes. Finally, this review will indicate current research gaps, such as the very limited knowledge of the isomeric pattern of chiral compounds and its importance in interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Environment & Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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Zung JL, Kotb SM, McBride CS. Exploring natural odour landscapes: A case study with implications for human-biting insects. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539789. [PMID: 37398328 PMCID: PMC10312452 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The natural world is full of odours-blends of volatile chemicals emitted by potential sources of food, social partners, predators, and pathogens. Animals rely heavily on these signals for survival and reproduction. Yet we remain remarkably ignorant of the composition of the chemical world. How many compounds do natural odours typically contain? How often are those compounds shared across stimuli? What are the best statistical strategies for discrimination? Answering these questions will deliver crucial insight into how brains can most efficiently encode olfactory information. Here, we undertake the first large-scale survey of vertebrate body odours, a set of stimuli relevant to blood-feeding arthropods. We quantitatively characterize the odour of 64 vertebrate species (mostly mammals), representing 29 families and 13 orders. We confirm that these stimuli are complex blends of relatively common, shared compounds and show that they are much less likely to contain unique components than are floral odours-a finding with implications for olfactory coding in blood feeders and floral visitors. We also find that vertebrate body odours carry little phylogenetic information, yet show consistency within a species. Human odour is especially unique, even compared to the odour of other great apes. Finally, we use our newfound understanding of odour-space statistics to make specific predictions about olfactory coding, which align with known features of mosquito olfactory systems. Our work provides one of the first quantitative descriptions of a natural odour space and demonstrates how understanding the statistics of sensory environments can provide novel insight into sensory coding and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Zung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544
| | | | - Carolyn S. McBride
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544
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12
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Xiang G, Jiang Y, Lan J, Huang L, Hao L, Liu Z, Xia J. Different influences of phylogenetically conserved and independent floral traits on plant functional specialization and pollination network structure. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1084995. [PMID: 36760631 PMCID: PMC9902514 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1084995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant specialization and pollination network structure play important roles in community assembly. Floral traits can mediate plant-pollinator interactions and thus have important impacts on nestedness and modularity of pollination network. When such traits are phylogenetically conserved, therefore, phylogeny and traits should predict network structure to similar degrees. Moreover, conserved network structures were also found attributed to pollination syndrome or pollination system. However, we still know little about the relation between pollination syndrome and pollination network, especially under a phylogenetic framework. Herein, we established a phylogenetic framework including five floral traits (flower density, floral size, floral shape, floral symmetry, and floral color) and five species-level metrics (species strength, weighted closeness, specialization d', nestedness contribution, and modularity contribution) to test how floral traits could directly or indirectly influence species' specialization and network structure in central China. Phylogenetic signals were found in all floral traits except flower density. Structural equation model and phylogenetic structural equation model results showed that both floral size and floral density affected plant specialization and its contribution to network modularity indirectly. However, compared with phylogenetic independent flower density, phylogenetic conserved floral size had much more complexed influences, having a direct influence both on species' specialization and on modularity contribution. In this nested and modular network, abundant species with larger flowers tend to be more central and had larger values of z. Floral shape, symmetry, and color could act as co-flowering filters in pollination sharing and help to shape network modularity. Our results emphasize that phylogenetically conserved traits partially represent pollination syndrome and are important drivers for modular structure of local pollination network. This study may improve the understanding how the evolutionary history and ecological process drive local network structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganju Xiang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunyi Jiang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jinmao Lan
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Liuying Huang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lijun Hao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiqian Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Gfrerer E, Laina D, Gibernau M, Comes HP, Hörger AC, Dötterl S. Variation in scent amount but not in composition correlates with pollinator visits within populations of deceptive Arum maculatum L. (Araceae). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1046532. [PMID: 36699827 PMCID: PMC9869488 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1046532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Floral scent is vital for pollinator attraction and varies among and within plant species. However, little is known about how inter-individual variation in floral scent affects the abundance and composition of floral visitor assemblages within populations. Moreover, for deceptive plants it is predicted that intra-population variation in scent can be maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection, but empirical evidence is still lacking. To investigate the ecological and evolutionary relations between inter-individual scent variation (i.e., total emission and composition) and floral visitors in deceptive plants, we studied floral scent, visitor assemblages, and fruit set in two populations of fly-pollinated (Psychodidae, Sphaeroceridae; Diptera) and deceptive Arum maculatum from Austria (JOS) and northern Italy (DAO). By correlating individual data on floral scent and visitor assemblages, we show that inter-individual variation in floral scent partly explains variation in visitor assemblages. The quantity of floral scent emitted per individual correlated positively with visitor abundance in both populations but explained visitor composition only in DAO, where strongly scented inflorescences attracted more sphaerocerid flies. However, in each population, the composition of floral scent did not correlate with the composition of floral visitors. There was also no evidence of negative frequency-dependent selection on floral scent. Instead, in JOS, more frequent scent phenotypes attracted more pollinators and were more likely to set an infructescence than rarer ones. Our results show that floral scent, despite being key in pollinator attraction in A. maculatum, only partly explains variation in pollinator abundance and composition. Overall, this study is the first to shed light on the importance of inter-individual variation in floral scent in explaining floral visitor assemblages at the population level in a deceptive plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Gfrerer
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Danae Laina
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Marc Gibernau
- Laboratory of Sciences for the Environment, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) – University of Corsica, Ajaccio, France
| | - Hans Peter Comes
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anja C. Hörger
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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14
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Kantsa A, Garcia JE, Raguso RA, Dyer AG, Steen R, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T. Intrafloral patterns of color and scent in Capparis spinosa L. and the ghosts of its selection past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16098. [PMID: 36371789 PMCID: PMC10108209 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Capparis spinosa is a widespread charismatic plant, in which the nocturnal floral habit contrasts with the high visitation by diurnal bees and the pronounced scarcity of hawkmoths. To resolve this discrepancy and elucidate floral evolution of C. spinosa, we analyzed the intrafloral patterns of visual and olfactory cues in relation to the known sensory biases of the different visitor guilds (bees, butterflies, and hawkmoths). METHODS We measured the intrafloral variation of scent, reflectance spectra, and colorimetric properties according to three guilds of known visitors of C. spinosa. Additionally, we sampled visitation rates using a motion-activated camera. RESULTS Carpenter bees visited the flowers eight times more frequently than nocturnal hawkmoths, at dusk and in the following morning. Yet, the floral headspace of C. spinosa contained a typical sphingophilous scent with high emission rates of certain monoterpenes and amino-acid derived compounds. Visual cues included a special case of multisensory nectar guide and color patterns conspicuous to the visual systems of both hawkmoths and bees. CONCLUSIONS The intrafloral patterns of sensory stimuli suggest that hawkmoths have exerted strong historical selection on C. spinosa. Our study revealed two interesting paradoxes: (a) the flowers phenotypically biased towards the more inconsistent pollinator; and (b) floral display demands an abundance of resources that seems maladaptive in the habitats of C. spinosa. The transition to a binary pollination system accommodating large bees has not required phenotypic changes, owing to specific eco-physiological adaptations, unrelated to pollination, which make this plant an unusual case in pollination ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aphrodite Kantsa
- Department of GeographyUniversity of the AegeanMytileneGreece
- Present address:
Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Robert A. Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorCornell University, IthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Department of PhysiologyMonash UniversityClaytonAustralia
- Present address:
Department of Developmental Biology and NeurobiologyJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Ronny Steen
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
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15
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Eisen KE, Powers JM, Raguso RA, Campbell DR. An analytical pipeline to support robust research on the ecology, evolution, and function of floral volatiles. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1006416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on floral volatiles has grown substantially in the last 20 years, which has generated insights into their diversity and prevalence. These studies have paved the way for new research that explores the evolutionary origins and ecological consequences of different types of variation in floral scent, including community-level, functional, and environmentally induced variation. However, to address these types of questions, novel approaches are needed that can handle large sample sizes, provide quality control measures, and make volatile research more transparent and accessible, particularly for scientists without prior experience in this field. Drawing upon a literature review and our own experiences, we present a set of best practices for next-generation research in floral scent. We outline methods for data collection (experimental designs, methods for conducting field collections, analytical chemistry, compound identification) and data analysis (statistical analysis, database integration) that will facilitate the generation and interpretation of quality data. For the intermediate step of data processing, we created the R package bouquet, which provides a data analysis pipeline. The package contains functions that enable users to convert chromatographic peak integrations to a filtered data table that can be used in subsequent statistical analyses. This package includes default settings for filtering out non-floral compounds, including background contamination, based on our best-practice guidelines, but functions and workflows can be easily customized as necessary. Next-generation research into the ecology and evolution of floral scent has the potential to generate broadly relevant insights into how complex traits evolve, their genomic architecture, and their consequences for ecological interactions. In order to fulfill this potential, the methodology of floral scent studies needs to become more transparent and reproducible. By outlining best practices throughout the lifecycle of a project, from experimental design to statistical analysis, and providing an R package that standardizes the data processing pipeline, we provide a resource for new and seasoned researchers in this field and in adjacent fields, where high-throughput and multi-dimensional datasets are common.
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16
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Erickson E, Junker RR, Ali JG, McCartney N, Patch HM, Grozinger CM. Complex floral traits shape pollinator attraction to ornamental plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:561-577. [PMID: 35732011 PMCID: PMC9510942 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ornamental flowering plant species are often used in managed greenspaces to attract and support pollinator populations. In natural systems, selection by pollinators is hypothesized to result in convergent multimodal floral phenotypes that are more attractive to specific pollinator taxa. In contrast, ornamental cultivars are bred via artificial selection by humans, and exhibit diverse and distinct phenotypes. Despite their prevalence in managed habitats, the influence of cultivar phenotypic variation on plant attractiveness to pollinator taxa is not well resolved. METHODS We used a combination of field and behavioural assays to evaluate how variation in floral visual, chemical and nutritional traits impacted overall attractiveness and visitation by pollinator taxonomic groups and bee species to 25 cultivars of five herbaceous perennial ornamental plant genera. KEY RESULTS Despite significant phenotypic variation, cultivars tended to attract a broad range of pollinator species. Nonetheless, at the level of insect order (bee, fly, butterfly, beetle), attraction was generally modulated by traits consistent with the pollination syndrome hypothesis. At the level of bee species, the relative influence of traits on visitation varied across plant genera, with some floral phenotypes leading to a broadening of the visitor community, and others leading to exclusion of visitation by certain bee species. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate how pollinator choice is mediated by complex multimodal floral signals. Importantly, the traits that had the greatest and most consistent effect on regulating pollinator attraction were those that are commonly selected for in cultivar development. Though variation among cultivars in floral traits may limit the pollinator community by excluding certain species, it may also encourage interactions with generalist taxa to support pollinator diversity in managed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R R Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - J G Ali
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - N McCartney
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - H M Patch
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - C M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
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17
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Albor C, Ashman T, Stanley A, Martel C, Arceo‐Gómez G. Flower color and flowering phenology mediate plant‐pollinator interaction assembly in a diverse co‐flowering community. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristopher Albor
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Tia‐Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Amber Stanley
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee USA
| | - Carlos Martel
- Department of Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee USA
- Current address: Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew London United Kingdom
| | - Gerardo Arceo‐Gómez
- Department of Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee USA
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18
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Balbuena MS, Broadhead GT, Dahake A, Barnett E, Vergara M, Skogen KA, Jogesh T, Raguso RA. Mutualism has its limits: consequences of asymmetric interactions between a well-defended plant and its herbivorous pollinator. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210166. [PMID: 35491593 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Concern for pollinator health often focuses on social bees and their agricultural importance at the expense of other pollinators and their ecosystem services. When pollinating herbivores use the same plants as nectar sources and larval hosts, ecological conflicts emerge for both parties, as the pollinator's services are mitigated by herbivory and its larvae are harmed by plant defences. We tracked individual-level metrics of pollinator health-growth, survivorship, fecundity-across the life cycle of a pollinating herbivore, the common hawkmoth, Hyles lineata, interacting with a rare plant, Oenothera harringtonii, that is polymorphic for the common floral volatile (R)-(-)-linalool. Linalool had no impact on floral attraction, but its experimental addition suppressed oviposition on plants lacking linalool. Plants showed robust resistance against herbivory from leaf-disc to whole-plant scales, through poor larval growth and survivorship. Higher larval performance on other Oenothera species indicates that constitutive herbivore resistance by O. harringtonii is not a genus-wide trait. Leaf volatiles differed among populations of O. harringtonii but were not induced by larval herbivory. Similarly, elagitannins and other phenolics varied among plant tissues but were not herbivore-induced. Our findings highlight asymmetric plant-pollinator interactions and the importance of third parties, including alternative larval host plants, in maintaining pollinator health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sol Balbuena
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Geoffrey T Broadhead
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ajinkya Dahake
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Emily Barnett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Melissa Vergara
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Krissa A Skogen
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL 60035, USA
| | - Tania Jogesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.,Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL 60035, USA
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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19
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Rakosy D, Motivans E, Ştefan V, Nowak A, Świerszcz S, Feldmann R, Kühn E, Geppert C, Venkataraman N, Sobieraj-Betlińska A, Grossmann A, Rojek W, Pochrząst K, Cielniak M, Gathof AK, Baumann K, Knight TM. Intensive grazing alters the diversity, composition and structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks in Central European grasslands. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263576. [PMID: 35275933 PMCID: PMC8916670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex socio-economic, political and demographic factors have driven the increased conversion of Europe's semi-natural grasslands to intensive pastures. This trend is particularly strong in some of the most biodiverse regions of the continent, such as Central and Eastern Europe. Intensive grazing is known to decrease species diversity and alter the composition of plant and insect communities. Comparatively little is known, however, about how intensive grazing influences plant functional traits related to pollination and the structure of plant-pollinator interactions. In traditional hay meadows and intensive pastures in Central Europe, we contrasted the taxonomic and functional group diversity and composition, the structure of plant-pollinator interactions and the roles of individual species in networks. We found mostly lower taxonomic and functional diversity of plants and insects in intensive pastures, as well as strong compositional differences among the two grassland management types. Intensive pastures were dominated by a single plant with a specialized flower structure that is only accessible to a few pollinator groups. As a result, intensive pastures have lower diversity and specificity of interactions, higher amount of resource overlap, more uniform interaction strength and lower network modularity. These findings stand in contrast to studies in which plants with more generalized flower traits dominated pastures. Our results thus highlight the importance of the functional traits of dominant species in mediating the consequences of intensive pasture management on plant-pollinator networks. These findings could further contribute to strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of intensive grazing on plant and pollinator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetra Rakosy
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elena Motivans
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Valentin Ştefan
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Arkadiusz Nowak
- Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | - Sebastian Świerszcz
- Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland
- Polish Academy of Sciences, The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Opole, Poland
| | - Reinart Feldmann
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kühn
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Costanza Geppert
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Neeraja Venkataraman
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anna Sobieraj-Betlińska
- Department of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Anita Grossmann
- Department of Ecology, Chair of Ecosystem Sciences/Plant Ecology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wiktoria Rojek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Pochrząst
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | | | - Anika Kirstin Gathof
- Department of Ecology, Chair of Ecosystem Sciences/Plant Ecology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kevin Baumann
- IFZ–Department for Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University, Gießen, Germany
| | - Tiffany Marie Knight
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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20
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Venjakob C, Ruedenauer FA, Klein AM, Leonhardt SD. Variation in nectar quality across 34 grassland plant species. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:134-144. [PMID: 34618397 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Floral nectar is considered the most important floral reward for attracting pollinators. It contains large amounts of carbohydrates besides variable concentrations of amino acids and thus represents an important food source for many pollinators. Its nutrient content and composition can, however, strongly vary within and between plant species. The factors driving this variation in nectar quality are still largely unclear. We investigated factors underlying interspecific variation in macronutrient composition of floral nectar in 34 different grassland plant species. Specifically, we tested for correlations between the phylogenetic relatedness and morphology of plants and the carbohydrate (C) and total amino acid (AA) composition and C:AA ratios of nectar. We found that compositions of carbohydrates and (essential) amino acids as well as C:AA ratios in nectar varied significantly within and between plant species. They showed no clear phylogenetic signal. Moreover, variation in carbohydrate composition was related to family-specific structural characteristics and combinations of morphological traits. Plants with nectar-exposing flowers, bowl- or parabolic-shaped flowers, as often found in the Apiaceae and Asteraceae, had nectar with higher proportions of hexoses, indicating a selective pressure to decelerate evaporation by increasing nectar osmolality. Our study suggests that variation in nectar nutrient composition is, among others, affected by family-specific combinations of morphological traits. However, even within species, variation in nectar quality is high. As nectar quality can strongly affect visitation patterns of pollinators and thus pollination success, this intra- and interspecific variation requires more studies to fully elucidate the underlying causes and the consequences for pollinator behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Venjakob
- Institute of Ecology, Ecosystem Functions, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
- Agroecology, DNPW, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - F A Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - A-M Klein
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - S D Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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21
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Manincor N, Andreu B, Buatois B, Lou Chao H, Hautekèete N, Massol F, Piquot Y, Schatz B, Schmitt E, Dufay M. Geographical variation of floral scents in generalist entomophilous species with variable pollinator communities. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Andreu
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier CNRS EPHE IRD Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Bruno Buatois
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier CNRS EPHE IRD Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | | | | | - François Massol
- Univ. Lille CNRS UMR 8198—Evo‐Eco‐Paleo Lille France
- Univ. Lille CNRS Inserm CHU Lille Institut Pasteur de Lille U1019—UMR 9017—CIIL—Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille Lille France
| | - Yves Piquot
- Univ. Lille CNRS UMR 8198—Evo‐Eco‐Paleo Lille France
| | - Bertrand Schatz
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier CNRS EPHE IRD Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Eric Schmitt
- Univ. Lille CNRS UMR 8198—Evo‐Eco‐Paleo Lille France
| | - Mathilde Dufay
- Univ. Lille CNRS UMR 8198—Evo‐Eco‐Paleo Lille France
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier CNRS EPHE IRD Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
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22
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Characterization of Two BAHD Acetyltransferases Highly Expressed in the Flowers of Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton. PLANTS 2021; 11:plants11010013. [PMID: 35009018 PMCID: PMC8747370 DOI: 10.3390/plants11010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Volatile benzenoid compounds are found in diverse aromatic bouquets emitted by most moth-pollinated flowers. The night-blooming Jasminum sambac is widely cultivated worldwide in the tropics and subtropics for ornamental and industrial purposes owing to its fragrant flowers. Benzylacetate is a characteristic constituent in jasmine scent which makes up to approximately 20–30% of the total emission in the headspace or extract, but the biosynthesis enzymes and the encoding genes have not yet been described. Here, we identify two cytosolic BAHD acyltransferases specifically expressed in the petals with a positive correlation closely to the emission pattern of the volatile benzenoids. Both JsBEAT1 and JsBEAT2 could use benzylalcohol and acetate-CoA as substrates to make benzylacetate in vitro. The recombinant GST-JsBEAT1 has an estimated apparent Km of 447.3 μM for benzylalcohol and 546.0 μM for acetate-CoA, whereas in the instance of the His-JsBEAT2, the Km values are marginally lower, being 278.7 and 317.3 μM, respectively. However, the catalytic reactions by the GST-JsBEAT1 are more efficient than that by the His-JsBEAT2, based on the steady-state kcat parameters. Furthermore, ectopic expression of JsBEAT1 and JsBEAT2 in the transgenic P. hybrida plants, driven by a flower-specific promotor, significantly enhances the biosynthesis of benzylbenzoate and benzylacetate, as well as the total VOCs.
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23
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Garcia JE, Dyer AG, Burd M, Shrestha M. Flower colour and size signals differ depending on geographical location and altitude region. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:905-914. [PMID: 34546624 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bees are major pollinators of angiosperms and have phylogenetically conserved colour vision but differ in how various key species use achromatic information that is vital for both flower detection and size processing. We modelled green contrast and colour contrast signals from flowers of different countries where there are well established differences in availability of model bee species along altitudinal gradients. We tested for consistency in visual signals as expected from generalization in pollination principles using phylogenetically informed linear models. Patterns of chromatic contrast, achromatic green contrast and flower size differed among the three floras we examined. In Nepal there is a significant positive correlation between flower size and colour contrast in the subalpine region, but a negative correlation at the lower altitudes. At high elevations in Norway, where pollinators other than bees are common, flower size was positively correlated with colour contrast. At low and medium altitudes in Norway and in Australia, we did not observe a significant relationship between size and colour contrast. We thus find that the relationship between size, green and colour contrast cannot be generalized across communities, thus suggesting that flower visual signal adaptations to local pollinators are not limited to chromatic contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - A G Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Shrestha
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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24
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Wei N, Kaczorowski RL, Arceo-Gómez G, O'Neill EM, Hayes RA, Ashman TL. Pollinators contribute to the maintenance of flowering plant diversity. Nature 2021; 597:688-692. [PMID: 34497416 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03890-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms that favour rare species are key to the maintenance of diverse communities1-3. One of the most critical tasks for conservation of flowering plant biodiversity is to understand how plant-pollinator interactions contribute to the maintenance of rare species4-7. Here we show that niche partitioning in pollinator use and asymmetric facilitation confer fitness advantage of rarer species in a biodiversity hotspot using phylogenetic structural equation modelling that integrates plant-pollinator and interspecific pollen transfer networks with floral functional traits. Co-flowering species filtered pollinators via floral traits, and rarer species showed greater pollinator specialization leading to higher pollination-mediated male and female fitness than more abundant species. When plants shared pollinator resources, asymmetric facilitation via pollen transport dynamics benefitted the rarer species at the cost of more abundant species, serving as an alternative diversity-promoting mechanism. Our results emphasize the importance of community-wide plant-pollinator interactions that affect reproduction for biodiversity maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, OH, USA.
| | - Rainee L Kaczorowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gerardo Arceo-Gómez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth M O'Neill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Hayes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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25
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Smith GX, Swartz MT, Spigler RB. Causes and consequences of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:1612-1624. [PMID: 34460097 PMCID: PMC9291898 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Heterospecific pollen transfer, the transfer of pollen between species, is common among co-flowering plants, yet the amount of pollen received is extremely variable among species. Intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt can be even greater, but we lack an understanding of its causes and fitness consequences in wild populations. METHODS We examined potential drivers of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. We evaluated the relationship between heterospecific and conspecific pollen receipt and considered how visitation by different pollinator groups, local floral neighborhood composition, and flowering phenology affect the total amount and proportion of heterospecific pollen received. Finally, we tested whether variation in heterospecific pollen receipt translated into lower seed production. RESULTS Heterospecific pollen was ubiquitous on O. fruticosa stigmas, but the amount received was highly variable and unrelated to conspecific pollen receipt. Heterospecific pollen receipt depended on pollinator type, the proportion of nearby conspecific flowers, and flowering date. Significant interactions revealed that the effects of pollinator type and neighborhood were not independent, further contributing to variation in heterospecific pollen. Naturally occurring levels of heterospecific pollen were sufficient to negatively impact seed set, but large amounts of conspecific pollen counteracted this detrimental effect. CONCLUSIONS Although selection could act on floral traits that attract quality pollinators and promote synchronous flowering in O. fruticosa, the risk of heterospecific pollen is equally dependent on local floral context. This work highlights how extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in wild plants, with significant fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard X. Smith
- Department of BiologyTemple University1900 N. 12 StreetPhiladelphiaPA19122USA
| | - Mark T. Swartz
- The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans AffairsFort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training CenterAnnvillePA17003USA
| | - Rachel B. Spigler
- Department of BiologyTemple University1900 N. 12 StreetPhiladelphiaPA19122USA
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26
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Smith GX, Swartz MT, Spigler RB. Causes and consequences of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:1612-1624. [PMID: 34460097 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1g9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Heterospecific pollen transfer, the transfer of pollen between species, is common among co-flowering plants, yet the amount of pollen received is extremely variable among species. Intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt can be even greater, but we lack an understanding of its causes and fitness consequences in wild populations. METHODS We examined potential drivers of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. We evaluated the relationship between heterospecific and conspecific pollen receipt and considered how visitation by different pollinator groups, local floral neighborhood composition, and flowering phenology affect the total amount and proportion of heterospecific pollen received. Finally, we tested whether variation in heterospecific pollen receipt translated into lower seed production. RESULTS Heterospecific pollen was ubiquitous on O. fruticosa stigmas, but the amount received was highly variable and unrelated to conspecific pollen receipt. Heterospecific pollen receipt depended on pollinator type, the proportion of nearby conspecific flowers, and flowering date. Significant interactions revealed that the effects of pollinator type and neighborhood were not independent, further contributing to variation in heterospecific pollen. Naturally occurring levels of heterospecific pollen were sufficient to negatively impact seed set, but large amounts of conspecific pollen counteracted this detrimental effect. CONCLUSIONS Although selection could act on floral traits that attract quality pollinators and promote synchronous flowering in O. fruticosa, the risk of heterospecific pollen is equally dependent on local floral context. This work highlights how extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in wild plants, with significant fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard X Smith
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Mark T Swartz
- The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center, Annville, PA, 17003, USA
| | - Rachel B Spigler
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
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27
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Howard SR, Prendergast K, Symonds MRE, Shrestha M, Dyer AG. Spontaneous choices for insect-pollinated flower shapes by wild non-eusocial halictid bees. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271069. [PMID: 34318316 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The majority of angiosperms require animal pollination for reproduction, and insects are the dominant group of animal pollinators. Bees are considered one of the most important and abundant insect pollinators. Research into bee behaviour and foraging decisions has typically centred on managed eusocial bee species, including Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris. Non-eusocial bees are understudied with respect to foraging strategies and decision making, such as flower preferences. Understanding whether there are fundamental foraging strategies and preferences that are features of insect groups can provide key insights into the evolution of flower-pollinator co-evolution. In the current study, Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium and Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) sp., two native Australian generalist halictid bees, were tested for flower shape preferences between native insect-pollinated and bird-pollinated flowers. Each bee was presented with achromatic images of either insect-pollinated or bird-pollinated flowers in a circular arena. Both native bee species demonstrated a significant preference for images of insect-pollinated flowers. These preferences are similar to those found in A. mellifera, suggesting that flower shape preference may be a deep-rooted evolutionary occurrence within bees. With growing interest in the sensory capabilities of non-eusocial bees as alternative pollinators, the current study also provides a valuable framework for further behavioural testing of such species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R Howard
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Kit Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Matthew R E Symonds
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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28
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Bing J, Li X, Haverkamp A, Baldwin IT, Hansson BS, Knaden M, Yon F. Variation in Manduca sexta Pollination-Related Floral Traits and Reproduction in a Wild Tobacco Plant. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.680463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most flowering plants depend on animal pollination for successful sexual reproduction. Floral signals such as color, shape, and odor are crucial in establishing this (often mutualistic) interaction. Plant and pollinator phenotypes can vary temporally but also spatially, thus creating mosaic-like patterns of local adaptations. Here, we investigated natural variation in floral morphology, flower volatile emission, and phenology in four accessions of a self-compatible wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata, to assess how these traits match the sensory perception of a known pollinator, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. These accessions differ in floral traits and also in their habitat altitudes. Based on habitat temperatures, the accession occurring at the highest altitude (California) is less likely to be visited by M. sexta, while the others (Arizona, Utah 1, and Utah 2) are known to receive M. sexta pollinations. The accessions varied significantly in flower morphologies, volatile emissions, flower opening, and phenology, traits likely important for M. sexta perception and floral handling. In wind tunnel assays, we assessed the seed set of emasculated flowers after M. sexta visitation and of natural selfed and hand-pollinated selfed flowers. After moth visitations, plants of two accessions (Arizona and Utah 2) produced more capsules than the other two, consistent with predictions that accessions co-occurring with M. sexta would benefit more from the pollination services of this moth. We quantified flower and capsule production in four accessions in a glasshouse assay without pollinators to assess the potential for self-pollination. The two Utah accessions set significantly more seeds after pollen supplementation compared with those of autonomous selfing flowers, suggesting a greater opportunistic benefit from efficient pollinators than the other two. Moreover, emasculated flowers of the accession with the most exposed stigma (Utah 2) produced the greatest seed set after M. sexta visitation. This study reveals intraspecific variation in pollination syndromes that illuminate the potential of a plant species to adapt to local pollinator communities, changing environments, and altered pollination networks.
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29
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Frachon L, Stirling SA, Schiestl FP, Dudareva N. Combining biotechnology and evolution for understanding the mechanisms of pollinator attraction. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 70:213-219. [PMID: 34217123 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Many flowering plants rely on pollinators for their reproductive success. Plant-pollinator interactions usually depend on a complex combination of traits based on a fine-tuned biosynthetic machinery, with many structural and regulatory genes involved. Yet, the physiological mechanisms in plants are the product of evolutionary processes. While evolution has been modifying flowers through millions of years, it is also a rapid process that can change plant traits within few generations. Here we discuss both mechanistic and evolutionary aspects of pollinator attraction. We also propose how latest advances in biotechnology and evolutionary studies, and their combination, will improve the elucidation of molecular mechanisms and evolutionary dynamics of pollinator attraction in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Frachon
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shannon A Stirling
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063, USA
| | - Florian P Schiestl
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Natalia Dudareva
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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30
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Eisen KE, Geber MA, Raguso RA. Emission rates of species-specific volatiles vary across communities of Clarkia species: Evidence for multi-modal character displacement. Am Nat 2021; 199:824-840. [DOI: 10.1086/715501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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31
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Wei N, Russell AL, Jarrett AR, Ashman TL. Pollinators mediate floral microbial diversity and microbial network under agrochemical disturbance. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2235-2247. [PMID: 33738885 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How pollinators mediate microbiome assembly in the anthosphere is a major unresolved question of theoretical and applied importance in the face of anthropogenic disturbance. We addressed this question by linking visitation of diverse pollinator functional groups (bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, beetles, true bugs and other taxa) to the key properties of the floral microbiome (microbial α- and β-diversity and microbial network) under agrochemical disturbance, using a field experiment of bactericide and fungicide treatments on cultivated strawberries that differ in flower abundance. Structural equation modelling was used to link agrochemical disturbance and flower abundance to pollinator visitation to floral microbiome properties. Our results revealed that (i) pollinator visitation influenced the α- and β-diversity and network centrality of the floral microbiome, with different pollinator functional groups affecting different microbiome properties; (ii) flower abundance influenced the floral microbiome both directly by governing the source pool of microbes and indirectly by enhancing pollinator visitation; and (iii) agrochemical disturbance affected the floral microbiome primarily directly by fungicide, and less so indirectly via pollinator visitation. These findings improve the mechanistic understanding of floral microbiome assembly, and may be generalizable to many other plants that are visited by diverse insect pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wei
- The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Avery L Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, USA
| | - Abigail R Jarrett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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32
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Sajjad A, Liu J, Wang Y, Farooqi MA, Zhao Z, Ahmad A, Akram W, Ali M, Ali A. Plant communities exhibit low resource partitioning for pollinator guilds under sub-tropical conditions of Pakistan. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247124. [PMID: 33606792 PMCID: PMC7894816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessment of resource partitioning in pollinators at a particular place can be used to conserve plant communities by minimizing their inter-specific competition. Current study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of this phenomenon among plant communities under sub-tropical conditions for the first time in Pakistan. We considered the entire available flowering plant and floral visitor communities in the study area-Lal Suhanra forest of Bahawalpur, Pakistan- along with different variations among them based on morphology, color and symmetry (functional groups) i.e. four functional groups among insects and nine among plants. Weekly floral visitor censuses were conducted during spring season -from the first week of March to the fourth week of May 2018. Thirty individuals of each plant species -in bloom- were observed for floral visitors in each census. Plant species with different floral shapes, colors and symmetry did not show any significant resource partitioning. The Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis followed by one-way ANOSIM test showed non- significant differences among all the pair of floral shapes, colors (except white and yellow) and symmetry (R-value < 0.168). However, SIMPER test suggested that flies were the most common group that contributed more towards within group similarities of different floral shapes (19 to 21% similarity), colors (16 to 30%) and symmetry (19%) followed by long-tongue bees i.e. 14 to 21%, 9 to 19% and 18%, respectively. Our results suggest that plant communities under sub-tropical conditions of Pakistan exhibit a generalist pollination system with no significant resource partitioning in pollinator species. Therefore, plant communities may have high competition for pollinator species which exhibits fewer implications of species loss on overall pollination process. Our study provides the basis for understanding the partitioning of pollinator guilds under sub-tropical conditions. Future studies should focus on functional traits in more detail at the community and the population scales for their possible impact on resource partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif Sajjad
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Junhe Liu
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, Henan, China
| | - Yusha Wang
- Université Côte d’Azur, INRAE, CNRS, UMR ISA, Nice, France
| | - Muhammad Aslam Farooqi
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Zihua Zhao
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ammad Ahmad
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Waseem Akram
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Mudssar Ali
- Department of Entomology, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Abid Ali
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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Dyer AG, Jentsch A, Burd M, Garcia JE, Giejsztowt J, Camargo MGG, Tjørve E, Tjørve KMC, White P, Shrestha M. Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:618203. [PMID: 33552110 PMCID: PMC7859648 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.618203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Blue is a favored color of many humans. While blue skies and oceans are a common visual experience, this color is less frequently observed in flowers. We first review how blue has been important in human culture, and thus how our perception of blue has likely influenced the way of scientifically evaluating signals produced in nature, including approaches as disparate as Goethe's Farbenlehre, Linneaus' plant taxonomy, and current studies of plant-pollinator networks. We discuss the fact that most animals, however, have different vision to humans; for example, bee pollinators have trichromatic vision based on UV-, Blue-, and Green-sensitive photoreceptors with innate preferences for predominantly short-wavelength reflecting colors, including what we perceive as blue. The subsequent evolution of blue flowers may be driven by increased competition for pollinators, both because of a harsher environment (as at high altitude) or from high diversity and density of flowering plants (as in nutrient-rich meadows). The adaptive value of blue flowers should also be reinforced by nutrient richness or other factors, abiotic and biotic, that may reduce extra costs of blue-pigments synthesis. We thus provide new perspectives emphasizing that, while humans view blue as a less frequently evolved color in nature, to understand signaling, it is essential to employ models of biologically relevant observers. By doing so, we conclude that short wavelength reflecting blue flowers are indeed frequent in nature when considering the color vision and preferences of bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Justyna Giejsztowt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Maria G. G. Camargo
- Phenology Lab, Biosciences Institute, Department of Biodiversity, UNESP – São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Even Tjørve
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway
| | | | - Peter White
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.63xsj3v08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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35
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Riffell JA. The neuroecology of insect-plant interactions: the importance of physiological state and sensory integration. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 42:118-124. [PMID: 33127509 PMCID: PMC7749044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Natural behaviorally important stimuli are combinations of cues that are integrated by the nervous system to elicit behavior. Nonetheless, these cues dynamically change in time and space. In turn, the animal's internal state can cause changes in the encoding and representation of these stimuli. Despite abundant behavioral examples, links between the neural bases of sensory integration and the internal state-dependency of these responses remains an active study area. Recent studies in different insect models have provided new insights into how plasticity and the insect's internal state may influence odor representation. These studies show that complex stimuli are represented in unique percepts that are different from their sensory channels and that the representations may be modulated by physiological state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Riffell
- University of Washington, Department of Biology, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, United States.
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36
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Hemprich-Bennett DR, Oliveira HFM, Le Comber SC, Rossiter SJ, Clare EL. Assessing the impact of taxon resolution on network structure. Ecology 2020; 102:e03256. [PMID: 33226629 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Constructing ecological networks has become an indispensable approach in understanding how different taxa interact. However, the methods used to generate data in network research vary widely among studies, potentially limiting our ability to compare results meaningfully. In particular, methods of classifying nodes vary in their precision, likely altering the architecture of the network studied. For example, rather than being classified as Linnaean species, taxa are regularly assigned to morphospecies in observational studies, or to molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) in molecular studies, with the latter defined based on an arbitrary threshold of sequence similarity. Although the use of MOTUs in ecological networks holds great potential, especially for allowing rapid construction of large data sets of interactions, it is unclear how the choice of clustering threshold can influence the conclusions obtained. To test the impact of taxonomic precision on network architecture, we obtained and analyzed 16 data sets of ecological interactions, inferred from metabarcoding and observations. Our comparisons of networks constructed under a range of sequence thresholds for assigning taxa demonstrate that even small changes in node resolution can cause wide variation in almost all key metric values. Moreover, relative values of commonly used metrics such as robustness were seen to fluctuate continuously with node resolution, thereby potentially causing error in conclusions drawn when comparing multiple networks. In observational networks, we found that changing node resolution could, in some cases, lead to substantial changes to measurements of network topology. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of classifying nodes to the greatest precision possible, and demonstrate the need for caution when comparing networks that differ with respect to node resolution, even where taxonomic groups and interaction types are similar. In such cases, we recommend that comparisons of networks should focus on relative differences rather than absolute values between the networks studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Hemprich-Bennett
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK.,Department of Zoology, Zoology Research and Administration Building, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Hernani F M Oliveira
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Steven C Le Comber
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Elizabeth L Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
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Farré-Armengol G, Fernández-Martínez M, Filella I, Junker RR, Peñuelas J. Deciphering the Biotic and Climatic Factors That Influence Floral Scents: A Systematic Review of Floral Volatile Emissions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1154. [PMID: 32849712 PMCID: PMC7412988 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Currently, a global analysis of the information available on the relative composition of the floral scents of a very diverse variety of plant species is missing. Such analysis may reveal general patterns on the distribution and dominance of the volatile compounds that form these mixtures, and may also allow measuring the effects of factors such as the phylogeny, pollination vectors, and climatic conditions on the floral scents of the species. To fill this gap, we compiled published data on the relative compositions and emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the floral scents of 305 plant species from 66 families. We also gathered information on the groups of pollinators that visited the flowers and the climatic conditions in the areas of distribution of these species. This information allowed us to characterize the occurrence and relative abundances of individual volatiles in floral scents and the effects of biotic and climatic factors on floral scent. The monoterpenes trans-β-ocimene and linalool and the benzenoid benzaldehyde were the most abundant floral VOCs, in both ubiquity and predominance in the floral blends. Floral VOC richness and relative composition were moderately preserved traits across the phylogeny. The reliance on different pollinator groups and the climate also had important effects on floral VOC richness, composition, and emission rates of the species. Our results support the hypothesis that key compounds or compounds originating from specific biosynthetic pathways mediate the attraction of the main pollinators. Our results also indicate a prevalence of monoterpenes in the floral blends of plants that grow in drier conditions, which could link with the fact that monoterpene emissions protect plants against oxidative stresses throughout drought periods and their emissions are enhanced under moderate drought stress. Sesquiterpenes, in turn, were positively correlated with mean annual temperature, supporting that sesquiterpene emissions are dominated mainly by ambient temperature. This study is the first to quantitatively summarise data on floral-scent emissions and provides new insights into the biotic and climatic factors that influence floral scents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Farré-Armengol
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Barcelona, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Iolanda Filella
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Barcelona, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Barcelona, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Spain
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Minachilis K, Kantsa A, Devalez J, Trigas P, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T. Bumblebee diversity and pollination networks along the elevation gradient of Mount Olympus, Greece. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Minachilis
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology Department of Geography University of the Aegean Mytilene Greece
| | - Aphrodite Kantsa
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology Department of Geography University of the Aegean Mytilene Greece
- Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Jelle Devalez
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology Department of Geography University of the Aegean Mytilene Greece
| | - Panayiotis Trigas
- Laboratory of Systematic Botany Faculty of Crop Science Agricultural University of Athens Athens Greece
| | - Thomas Tscheulin
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology Department of Geography University of the Aegean Mytilene Greece
| | - Theodora Petanidou
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology Department of Geography University of the Aegean Mytilene Greece
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Shrestha M, Garcia JE, Burd M, Dyer AG. Australian native flower colours: Does nectar reward drive bee pollinator flower preferences? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226469. [PMID: 32525873 PMCID: PMC7289428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour is an important signal that flowering plants use to attract insect pollinators like bees. Previous research in Germany has shown that nectar volume is higher for flower colours that are innately preferred by European bees, suggesting an important link between colour signals, bee preferences and floral rewards. In Australia, flower colour signals have evolved in parallel to the Northern hemisphere to enable easy discrimination and detection by the phylogenetically ancient trichromatic visual system of bees, and native Australian bees also possess similar innate colour preferences to European bees. We measured 59 spectral signatures from flowers present at two preserved native habitats in South Eastern Australia and tested whether there were any significant differences in the frequency of flowers presenting higher nectar rewards depending upon the colour category of the flower signals, as perceived by bees. We also tested if there was a significant correlation between chromatic contrast and the frequency of flowers presenting higher nectar rewards. For the entire sample, and for subsets excluding species in the Asteraceae and Orchidaceae, we found no significant difference among colour categories in the frequency of high nectar reward. This suggests that whilst such relationships between flower colour signals and nectar volume rewards have been observed at a field site in Germany, the effect is likely to be specific at a community level rather than a broad general principle that has resulted in the common signalling of bee flower colours around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Shrestha
- Bio-Inspired Digital Lab (BIDS-Lab), Schools of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Lab (BIDS-Lab), Schools of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Lab (BIDS-Lab), Schools of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Benvenuti S, Mazzoncini M, Cioni PL, Flamini G. Wildflower-pollinator interactions: Which phytochemicals are involved? Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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41
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Esmaile N, Rodrigues D. Attractiveness to highly informative flowers and absence of conditioning in the southern monarch butterfly. Behav Processes 2020; 175:104120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 PMCID: PMC7773721 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.582784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Mani Shrestha, ;
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Chun-Neng Wang,
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Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Garcia JE, Burd M. Floral colour structure in two Australian herbaceous communities: it depends on who is looking. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:221-232. [PMID: 31008511 PMCID: PMC6758583 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pollinator-mediated interactions between plant species may affect the composition of angiosperm communities. Floral colour signals should play a role in these interactions, but the role will arise from the visual perceptions and behavioural responses of multiple pollinators. Recent advances in the visual sciences can be used to inform our understanding of these perceptions and responses. We outline the application of appropriate visual principles to the analysis of the annual cycle of floral colour structure in two Australian herbaceous communities. METHODS We used spectrographic measurements of petal reflectance to determine the location of flowers in a model of hymenopteran colour vision. These representations of colour perception were then translated to a behaviourally relevant metric of colour differences using empirically calibrated colour discrimination functions for four hymenopteran species. We then analysed the pattern of colour similarity in terms of this metric in samples of co-flowering plants over the course of a year. We used the same method to analyse the annual pattern of phylogenetic relatedness of co-flowering plants in order to compare colour structure and phylogenetic structure. KEY RESULTS Co-flowering communities at any given date seldom had colour assemblages significantly different from random. Non-random structure, both dispersion and clustering, occurred occasionally, but depended on which bee observer is considered. The degree of colour similarity was unrelated to phylogenetic similarity within a co-flowering community. CONCLUSIONS Perceived floral colour structure varied with the sensory capabilities of the observer. The lack of colour structure at most sample dates, particularly the rarity of strong dispersion, suggests that plants do not use chromatic signals primarily to enable bees to discriminate between co-flowering species. It is more likely that colours make plants detectable in a complex landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Shrestha
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Burkle LA, Runyon JB. Floral volatiles structure plant–pollinator interactions in a diverse community across the growing season. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Burkle
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana
| | - Justin B. Runyon
- Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service Bozeman Montana
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45
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Conchou L, Lucas P, Meslin C, Proffit M, Staudt M, Renou M. Insect Odorscapes: From Plant Volatiles to Natural Olfactory Scenes. Front Physiol 2019; 10:972. [PMID: 31427985 PMCID: PMC6688386 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is an essential sensory modality for insects and their olfactory environment is mostly made up of plant-emitted volatiles. The terrestrial vegetation produces an amazing diversity of volatile compounds, which are then transported, mixed, and degraded in the atmosphere. Each insect species expresses a set of olfactory receptors that bind part of the volatile compounds present in its habitat. Insect odorscapes are thus defined as species-specific olfactory spaces, dependent on the local habitat, and dynamic in time. Manipulations of pest-insect odorscapes are a promising approach to answer the strong demand for pesticide-free plant-protection strategies. Moreover, understanding their olfactory environment becomes a major concern in the context of global change and environmental stresses to insect populations. A considerable amount of information is available on the identity of volatiles mediating biotic interactions that involve insects. However, in the large body of research devoted to understanding how insects use olfaction to locate resources, an integrative vision of the olfactory environment has rarely been reached. This article aims to better apprehend the nature of the insect odorscape and its importance to insect behavioral ecology by reviewing the literature specific to different disciplines from plant ecophysiology to insect neuroethology. First, we discuss the determinants of odorscape composition, from the production of volatiles by plants (section "Plant Metabolism and Volatile Emissions") to their filtering during detection by the olfactory system of insects (section "Insect Olfaction: How Volatile Plant Compounds Are Encoded and Integrated by the Olfactory System"). We then summarize the physical and chemical processes by which volatile chemicals distribute in space (section "Transportation of Volatile Plant Compounds and Spatial Aspects of the Odorscape") and time (section "Temporal Aspects: The Dynamics of the Odorscape") in the atmosphere. The following sections consider the ecological importance of background odors in odorscapes and how insects adapt to their olfactory environment. Habitat provides an odor background and a sensory context that modulate the responses of insects to pheromones and other olfactory signals (section "Ecological Importance of Odorscapes"). In addition, insects do not respond inflexibly to single elements in their odorscape but integrate several components of their environment (section "Plasticity and Adaptation to Complex and Variable Odorscapes"). We finally discuss existing methods of odorscape manipulation for sustainable pest insect control and potential future developments in the context of agroecology (section "Odorscapes in Plant Protection and Agroecology").
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Conchou
- INRA, Sorbonne Université, INRA, CNRS, UPEC, IRD, University P7, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Lucas
- INRA, Sorbonne Université, INRA, CNRS, UPEC, IRD, University P7, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Camille Meslin
- INRA, Sorbonne Université, INRA, CNRS, UPEC, IRD, University P7, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Magali Proffit
- CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Michael Staudt
- CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Renou
- INRA, Sorbonne Université, INRA, CNRS, UPEC, IRD, University P7, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Paris, France
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46
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Paulus HF. Speciation, pattern recognition and the maximization of pollination: general questions and answers given by the reproductive biology of the orchid genus Ophrys. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:285-300. [PMID: 31134328 PMCID: PMC6579770 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Pollination syndromes evolved under the reciprocal selection of pollinators and plants (coevolution). Here, the two main methods are reviewed which are applied to prove such selection. (i) The indirect method is a cross-lineage approach using phylogenetical trees to understand the phylogeny. Thus, features of single origin can be distinguished from those with multiple origins. Nearly all pollination modes originate in multiple evolutionary ways. (ii) The most frequent pollinators cause the strongest selection because they are responsible for the plant's most successful reproduction. The European sexually deceptive orchid genus Ophrys provides an example of a more direct way to prove selection because the attraction of a pollinator is species specific. Most members of the genus have remarkably variable flowers. The variability of the signals given off by the flowers enables the deceived pollinator males to learn individual flower patterns. They thus avoid already visited Ophrys flowers, interpreting them as females rejecting them. As the males will not return to these individually recognizable flowers, the pollinators´ learning behavior causes cross-pollination and prevents the orchid's self-pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes F Paulus
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstr.14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Hannah L, Dyer AG, Garcia JE, Dorin A, Burd M. Psychophysics of the hoverfly: categorical or continuous color discrimination? Curr Zool 2019; 65:483-492. [PMID: 31413720 PMCID: PMC6688577 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in flies as potentially important pollinators. Flies are known to have a complex visual system, including 4 spectral classes of photoreceptors that contribute to the perception of color. Our current understanding of how color signals are perceived by flies is based on data for the blowfly Lucilia sp., which after being conditioned to rewarded monochromatic light stimuli, showed evidence of a categorical color visual system. The resulting opponent fly color space has 4 distinct categories, and has been used to interpret how some fly pollinators may perceive flower colors. However, formal proof that flower flies (Syrphidae) only use a simple, categorical color process remains outstanding. In free-flying experiments, we tested the hoverfly Eristalis tenax, a Batesian mimic of the honeybee, that receives its nutrition by visiting flowers. Using a range of broadband similar–dissimilar color stimuli previously used to test color perception in pollinating hymenopteran species, we evaluated if there are steep changes in behavioral choices with continuously increasing color differences as might be expected by categorical color processing. Our data revealed that color choices by the hoverfly are mediated by a continuous monotonic function. Thus, these flies did not use a categorical processing, but showed evidence of a color discrimination function similar to that observed in several bee species. We therefore empirically provide data for the minimum color distance that can be discriminated by hoverflies in fly color space, enabling an improved understanding of plant–pollinator interactions with a non-model insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Hannah
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales 2753, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Alan Dorin
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Bennett AB, Lovell S. Landscape and local site variables differentially influence pollinators and pollination services in urban agricultural sites. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212034. [PMID: 30759171 PMCID: PMC6373950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization has detrimental effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as agricultural and semi-natural habitats are converted into landscapes dominated by built features. Urban agricultural sites are a growing component of urban landscapes and have potential to serve as a source of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provisioning in urban areas. In 19 urban agricultural sites, we investigated how surrounding land cover and local site variables supported bees and pollination services. We found the abundance of bees differentially responded to landscape and local scale variables depending on body size and nesting habit. Large-bodied bees, Bombus and Apis species, were positively associated with increasing amounts of impervious cover, while the abundance of small-bodied soil nesting Halictus species increased as the proportion of flower area, a local variable, increased. Bee richness declined with increasing levels of impervious cover, while bee community composition changed along a gradient of increasing impervious cover. Pollination services, measured at each site using sentinel cucumber plants, declined as hardscape, a local variable, increased. To improve bee conservation and pollination services in urban agricultural sites, our results suggest urban planning strategies should minimize impervious cover at large spatial scales while land managers should focus locally on incorporating floral resources, which increases food and nesting resources especially for smaller bee species. Local site design coupled with regional urban planning can advance the success of urban agriculture, while benefiting biodiversity by creating opportunities for pollinator conservation in urban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley B. Bennett
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah Lovell
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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Ramos-Jiliberto R, Moisset de Espanés P, Franco-Cisterna M, Petanidou T, Vázquez DP. Phenology determines the robustness of plant-pollinator networks. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14873. [PMID: 30291278 PMCID: PMC6173761 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-pollinator systems are essential for ecosystem functioning, which calls for an understanding of the determinants of their robustness to environmental threats. Previous studies considering such robustness have focused mostly on species' connectivity properties, particularly their degree. We hypothesized that species' phenological attributes are at least as important as degree as determinants of network robustness. To test this, we combined dynamic modeling, computer simulation and analysis of data from 12 plant-pollinator networks with detailed information of topology of interactions as well as species' phenology of plant flowering and pollinator emergence. We found that phenological attributes are strong determinants of network robustness, a result consistent across the networks studied. Plant species persistence was most sensitive to increased larval mortality of pollinators that start earlier or finish later in the season. Pollinator persistence was especially sensitive to decreased visitation rates and increased larval mortality of specialists. Our findings suggest that seasonality of climatic events and anthropic impacts such as the release of pollutants is critical for the future integrity of terrestrial biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ramos-Jiliberto
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile.
- Programas de Postgrado, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | | | | | | | - Diego P Vázquez
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Aridas - CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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50
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Martín González AM, Ornelas JF, Dalsgaard B, Márquez-Luna U, Lara C. Meta-networks for the study of biogeographical traits in ecological networks: the Mexican hummingbird-plant assemblage. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:54. [PMID: 30291455 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1578-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on ecological networks have quantified the contribution of ecological, historical, and evolutionary factors on the structure of local communities of interacting species. However, the influence of species' biogeographical traits, such as migratory habits or phylogeographical history, on ecological networks is poorly understood. Meta-networks, i.e., networks that cover large spatial extensions and include species not co-occurring locally, enable us to investigate mechanisms that operate at larger spatial scales such as migratory patterns or phylogeographical distributions, as well as indirect relationships among species through shared partners. Using a meta-network of hummingbird-plant interaction across Mexico, we illustrate the usefulness of this approach by investigating (1) how biogeographical and morphological factors associate with observed interactions and (2) how species-specific biogeographical characteristics associate with species' network roles. Our results show that all studied hummingbird and plant species in the meta-network were interrelated, either directly or through shared partners. The meta-network was structured into modules, resulting from hummingbirds and plants interacting preferentially with subsets of species, which differed in biogeographical, and, to a lesser extent, morphological traits. Furthermore, migrants and hummingbirds from Nearctic, Transition, and widespread regions had a higher topological importance in the meta-network. Our study illustrates how meta-networks may contribute to our current knowledge on species' biogeographical traits and biotic interactions, providing a perspective complementary to local-scale networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Martín González
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Juan Francisco Ornelas
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. (INECOL), Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Ubaldo Márquez-Luna
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, 09340, Iztapalapa, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km 10.5 Autopista Tlaxcala-San Martín Texmelucan, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, 90120, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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